


A Cursed Blessing

by Ravenhoot



Category: X-Men: The Animated Series
Genre: Alcohol, Disgusting amounts of fluff, Drunkenness, F/M, Fluff, Karaoke, Mild Language, Revenge, Swearing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-03
Updated: 2019-03-28
Packaged: 2019-06-21 00:14:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15545355
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ravenhoot/pseuds/Ravenhoot
Summary: Rogue is given a chance at something she's never had before - the ability to control her powers. She thought that was the greatest moment of her life... until Remy proposed.But nothing is smooth sailing for the X-Men and soon, a ghost from Remy's past comes swooping in and starts causing all sorts of trouble.****NOT abandoned, but in grad school, so updates are very infrequent and sporadic***





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I know this is nowhere near canon now that the Mr & Mrs X comic series has been released (which I have not read yet)... but it's just the kind of disgusting fluff I need from my OG ship. This isn't intended to follow any storyline in the comicverse. If anything, it adheres to the 90s TV show in terms of background story and characterization.
> 
> This is a work in progress. I'm in grad school so updates will be infrequent. Apologies!

Rogue slammed her fist on the button to open the door much harder than she’d intended. She paused for a moment, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. When she’d composed herself, she went into Hank’s lab with both excitement and apprehension.

“Beast? You in here?”

A mass of blue fur emerged from several shelves on the other side of the room.

“Ah, Rogue, you’re here. I take it you got my message?”

“Came as quick as Ah could.”

Beast led her to a table covered with miscellaneous gears and electrical equipment.

“Do you remember me telling you that I believed I could redirect the suppressive mechanism from the collars Storm and the others were forced to wear on Genosha?”

“Beast, you’ve been working on that for years,” Rogue said doubtfully.

“Well, assembly is only the first step, my dear. Any good experiment must go through rigorous testing before any practical application.”

“English, Beast, please. Logan kicked mah ass in the danger room today,” Rogue said, looking extremely tired.

“My apologies, dear Rogue. But this is, I believe, vital to your quality of life.” Beast opened a drawer and withdrew a small metal ring with a strange etching all around the band.

“Aww, Beast, Ah’m flattered,” Rogue teased. “But, well, you know Ah’m spoken for.”

“It is precisely for that reason I’ve worked tirelessly on this project for many weeks now.”

Rogue raised an eyebrow at him, still not understanding.

“Rogue, those collars rendered mutants unable to use their powers. Now, you could have just slapped one on and ‘called it a day’ as the expression goes, but that would be neither sightly nor comfortable. I’ve been trying to replicate the technology of the collar into something more… inconspicuous,” Beast said as he held up the ring.

“Do you mean… that ring… can turn off mah powers?” Rogue gasped.

“I mean precisely that.”

Rogue’s stomach did backflips as she reached for the ring, but suddenly stopped before taking it from Beast.

“Whatever could be the matter, Rogue?”

“Beast, don’t take this the wrong way, because Ah know you’re brilliant, but… what if it doesn’t work for me?”

“As I said earlier, a good scientist tests his invention many times over to ensure proper functionality. Observe,” Beast said, slipping the ring over his pinky finger, and even then it barely fit.

Within moments, Beast’s bright blue fur seemed to recede beneath pale skin. Rogue blinked several times in astonishment.

“Oh Beast! Ah mean, sorry, Hank. My my aren’t you handsome!”

Hank flushed slightly and pulled the ring off his finger. Instantly, he was engulfed in blue fur again.

“So you see, it works. I have no doubt it will work for you.” He held it out to her, but still she did not move to take it.

“Beast…” Rogue said softly. “All this time, you’ve been working on this. And you know it works… but you’re givin’ it to me… Why? Why not use it for yourself?”

“Rogue, your need is far greater than mine. My mutation is purely cosmetic. Yours severely limits your ability to make real connections with people. It would be both shameful and selfish for me to keep it for myself.”

Still, Rogue looked at him skeptically.

“And, besides, I can always make another one,” he reminded her.

"But you've been workin' on this for  _years_ ," Rogue insisted. 

"Only because I am a stubborn perfectionist and refused to update you on the status until I was certain it worked flawlessly. I assure you, now that I've put the band through rigorous testing, I can replicate it quite easily," Beast said with finality. 

Finally, Rogue reached forward and accepted the ring from Beast’s outstretched hand. She hovered slightly in the air so she could look at him at eye level and leaned forward, kissing his furry cheek.

“Thank ya, Hank. Ya have no idea what this means ta me,” Rogue said quietly as her eyes filled with joyous tears.


	2. Chapter 2

Ororo, Kitty, and Jean entered the rec room together, already deep in conversation. Jubilee looked up from the television briefly as the entered, then directed her attention back to the reality show she so loved – what the others called “mindless garbage.” Kitty boosted herself up to sit on the counter while Jean started making coffee.

“Did you actually see him do it, Storm?” Kitty asked excitedly.

“Not directly," Ororo answered. "I was on duty for perimeter checks and was making my rounds. I noticed they were outside on the uppermost balcony, but paid them no mind.”

Kitty sighed with disappointment. “I wish someone had seen it.”

Jubilee kept her eyes on the television, but from that point on, she was listening to the conversation behind her and not what was happening to her favorite reality show characters.

“Kitty, I’m sure if he’d wanted it to be a spectacle, he would have made certain it was. You know how he is,” Jean quipped as she poured coffee into two mugs and handed one to Storm.

“Exactly!” Kitty exclaimed in reply. “He’s always showing off. I just knew when it finally happened, it would be a big scene.”

"Kitty," Ororo began, "they are not these nameless faces you and Jubilation watch on the television. They are our friends. They do not exist for your own entertainment."

“Perhaps," Jean chimed in, "he feared rejection... again?”

Jubilee smiled bemusedly. She knew what was going on now, but decided to play dumb in order to get as much of the story as she could.

“Okay,” Jubilee interrupted. She flipped around on the sofa so that her knees were in the seat and she was peering over the back. “What are we talking about? What’s going on? C'mon, dish the juicy gossip, ladies!"

Suddenly, all three other women looked uncomfortable. Kitty, never one for confrontation, leaped off the counter and said in a rush, “Actually, I just remembered I’m supposed to have a danger room training session with Kurt."

"Kurt's in Toronto with Psylocke..." Jubilee reminded her. 

"Uh... well, you know, he teleports. So I'm sure he'll be back any second. Catch ya later.” She darted out the door, leaving Jubilee staring expectantly at Storm and Jean.

Jean sighed, wishing she could escape like Kitty had, but as one of the eldest members of the team, she was a mentor to the younger ones. It wouldn’t become her.

“Oh, you’ll find out sooner or later,” Jean huffed. “Gambit proposed to Rogue.” Jean lifted the coffee mug to her lips and drank deeply, though the coffee was still too hot. But it was an excuse to not see Jubilee’s reaction. Storm remained silent.

When Jean set the mug down, she was surprised to see Jubilee unfazed. _Strange,_ she thought. _She’s harbored a crush on Gambit for years. I expected her to take this news a lot worse._

Storm cleared her throat. “Jubilation? Did you hear Jean correctly, child?”

Jubilee looked perplexed at the two other women. “So?” She said nonchalantly. “He’s been proposing to Rogue for years. What’s the big deal?”

“Well... this time she said yes,” Jean said quietly.

“What?” Jubilee replied unbelieving. “No she didn’t. She never does. She always says she can’t ‘make him commit to a wife he can’t even touch.’”

“Oh child…” Storm began. “You do not know, do you?”

“Know _what_?” Jubilee snapped, more aggressively than she’d intended.

“Hank finally figured out how to replicate the technology in those collars you and Ororo wore in Genosha. Rogue can control her powers now. She can touch someone without hurting them,” Jean explained gently.

“Wh-what?” Jubilee felt herself sway slightly, unaware she’d even stood up until she felt so unsteady on her feet.

“How on earth can he marry _her!?_ They don’t even love each other!” Jubilee exclaimed suddenly. “One minute they’re all over each other, then they hate each other. For _years!_ They go back and forth so many times it’s impossible to keep track.” Realizing she was waving her hands around erratically, she balled her fists and straightened her arms to her sides to keep the explosive energy in check.

“Jubilee,” Ororo said, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. “Being in love is a difficult journey for anyone. Add being mutants into the mix… well, it is certainly understandable if things do not always go smoothly. There are many ups and downs to relationships. But I have known both Gambit and Rogue for many years and I can assure you... they _do_ love one another.”

Jubilee shrugged off Storm’s hand and crossed her arms over her chest. “Love…” she sneered, “is stupid.” She snapped her head forward so sharply that her sunglasses fell from her head onto her eyes. She stormed from the rec room without another word.

“Well, that went about as well as I expected," Jean said with a sigh. "Do you think she’ll be alright?” 

“I am sure she just needs time to process it. Jubilee has been infatuated with Gambit since the day she came to us. I am sure she will come around,” Ororo said with a confidence Jean didn’t share.

“I hope you’re right…”


	3. Chapter 3

That evening, Wolverine entered the rec room. It was empty except for Gambit, who was standing by the pool table. He had a cue in his hands, but the balls were still racked. 

"You look mighty morose for someone who just got engaged," Wolverine said. "Having second thoughts?" 

"'Course not," said Gambit. Wolverine waited for him to say more, but Gambit stayed silent. 

"Then why's it seem like you're avoiding people?" Wolverine pressed. He opened the fridge and withdrew two beers, extended one adamantium claw to pop the tops, and handed one to Gambit, who accepted the bottle but set it on the edge of the pool table. 

"Been engaged less than twelve hours," Gambit huffed. Er'body already askin' a million questions. 'Y'all gon' get married in the fall or spring?' 'Outdoor or indoor cer'mony?' S'enough to drive a man insane. I don' know how she puts up wit it." 

Wolverine took a cue from the rack on the wall and chalked the tip. "That's woman nonsense." He raised his eyebrows at Gambit, who accepted his challenge with a curt nod but made no move to begin the game. 

“You gonna stand there all night pouting or you gonna break?” Wolverine growled. 

Gambit moved to take the first shot. He leaned forward, lining up his shot, when Wolverine spoke again. 

“Oh and Cajun…”

“Yeah, I know, Wolverine,” Gambit said testily without even looking up. “I break her heart, you’ll break my spine or somethin' to that effect. Am I right?”

Logan dropped his shoulders and softened his gaze slightly. “Actually... I was just gonna congratulate you.”

Gambit looked at him skeptically. “Really? No wisecracks? No threats? You feelin' sick?” 

“Nah,” Logan replied with a shrug. “I figure you’ve had plenty of chances to run. Sometimes you took those chances, but you always came back. And you can tell the team it’s for whatever reason you want, I won't blow your cover… but I know it’s always been because of her.”

“Mon ami, I gotta give you credit. You’re more perceptive than people give you credit for.”

Logan shrugged. "We ain't always seen eye to eye, Cajun, and I ain't sayin' I like you. But I've looked after her for as long as she's been here. I love that girl like a sister. I've seen her try to make it work with plenty of others, but no matter what shit y'all put each other through, it always comes back to you. So if you're serious about her, then ya' got my full support. I jus' wanna see her happy. God knows she deserves that."

A heavy silence fell between them. While Logan had been speaking, Gambit had stood and rested his elbow on his pool cue. Finally, he nodded slightly and said, "Well, Wolverine, I never thought I'd say this, but for th' first time, y've left me speechless."

“Told ya one day I’d get last word. Now enough of that serious talk. Let’s play some pool,” Wolverine barked. 

As Gambit leaned forward once more to break, Wolverine muttered, “But I  _ will _ break your spine if you break her heart.”

The corner of Gambit’s mouth turned up in a smirk as he hit a well-aimed shot into the pool balls, scattering them across the table.

 

****************

 

After two games of pool, one win for each of them, Gambit was setting up the table for a tiebreaker round when Nightcrawler entered the room. 

“Oh hello!” He greeted cheerfully. “I play ze winner, yes?”

“Sure,” Wolverine replied. “But no powers to cheat, eh?”

Kurt gasped with feigned offense and placed his hand on his chest. "Me? Use my powers to cheat? Why, Logan mein freund, why would you ever think that I, Kurt Wagner, would use my mutant power to teleport around ze pool table to get a perfect shot every time?"

Gambit snorted as he raised the beer bottle to his mouth. He took a long swig and said, "Maybe because you do exactly that every time you play."

"Begging your pardon," Kurt quipped. "I haff only done zat ze last eight times I played!  _Not_ every time."

"Yeah well, you," Wolverine said, pointing to Kurt, "just camp out over there and think up something to do for Gumbo's bachelor party while I kick his ass in this game."

Logan took another shot. He didn't quite sink it, so he stepped aside for Gambit to line up his next shot. 

"Actually, Kurt, I'm glad you're here," Gambit said after sinking his intended shot flawlessly. He moved to the other side of the table, planning his next move. He lined up the move, but instead of taking the shot, he rose and leaned the pool cue against the wall. "I know I just asked her las' night, but no time like th' present an' all. I got no family 'cept the X-Men. But you're her brother and when she marries me, I guess that'll make you my brother too. So how 'bout it Kurt? Would ya be ma best man?"

Kurt paused to consider for a moment. "You truly love my sister?"

"With ev'rythin' I got in me," Gambit answered without missing a beat. 

"Zen I vould be honored," Kurt replied happily. 

 

 

 


	4. Chapter 4

The next morning, Rogue stood at the industrial-sized stainless steel sink, headphones in her ears, and humming along to her music as she completed her task. In the sink were several pitchers with a hearty serving of sugar in each. She turned to the stove and removed the massive stock pot from the burner where it had been steeping. She used the back of her hand to push a stubborn section of hair out of her face that never seemed to stay in place. The kitchen window was open with a pleasant breeze blowing in. This was one of Rogue's favorite times of the year. It had just started to get warm out, but comfortably so - not the sticky, humid warm. She had the sleeves of her plaid button down rolled up to her elbows. One by one, she began plucking the string of each tea bag from the pot, hanging it over the edge of the pitcher and pressing a wooden spoon to it firmly so all the excess tea went into the pitcher. With her headphones in, she hadn’t heard the footsteps of someone entering the kitchen.

Remy called her name twice but she didn’t answer. When he noticed the thin white cord dangling from her mess of curly auburn hair, he approached closer and pinched her gently at the waist. Rogue jumped so violently, she tossed the tea bag she’d been holding into the air, using her power to levitate herself a few inches off the floor. She spun around, ready to smack whoever had startled her with the wooden spoon she still held in her hand. When she saw Remy doubled over in laughter and clutching his side, Rogue’s angry expression softened slightly… before whacking him one good time on the knee with her spoon.

“Remy!” Rogue fumed. “Yer lucky yah didn’t make me spill this tea. Ah’d have tanned yer hide good!”

Remy straightened up and moved to reach for her hand, but suddenly pulled his hand back. Just a moment ago she was flying, so she wasn’t wearing the suppressing ring Beast had made for her. Instead, he retrieved the tea bag she’d flung into the air and set it back in the sink with the others she’d already squeezed.

“What’er ya doin’ in here anyway? Thought you were,” she scrunched her nose and deepened her voice, imitating his Cajun accent, “teachin’ them how ta lose at pool.”

Gambit shrugged. “They learned faster than I thought.”

Rogue rolled her eyes and shook her head. “So now yah come in here ta pester me while Ah’m makin’ tea.”

“I’m just glad you the one makin’ it, chère. You’re ‘bout the only one in this house what knows how to make it properly.”

 “Well, sugah, that’s ‘cause Ah was brought up southern proper. Or at least mah daddy wished Ah was.” She squeezed the last of the tea bags into the pitchers, then poured equal amounts of tea into each one. “Never got the hang of that ‘southern belle’ mess, but one thing Ah did learn was how to make some damn good sweet tea.”

Remy crossed his arms and leaned against the counter. He gave her a sly grin and said, “Gave ya daddy plenty of grief, I’m sure.”

“Like Ah said – Ah won’t no southern belle.” Rogue stirred each pitcher with the wooden spoon until the sugar had melted. She snapped the lids in place and transferred all eight pitchers, with help from Remy, to the fridge. _All that work and it’ll be gone in a matter of days,_ she mused. She never imagined when she volunteered to be the house tea-maker that everyone would enjoy it as much as they did. _Damn yankees, I expected them to all drink theirs unsweet._

“Heh, well if one of them boys you ran 'round with was who taught you to make tea, I’d tip my hat to ‘em if I was wearin’ one.”

Rogue wiped her hands on a dishtowel and slipped her rings back on. They were both so precious to her – the ring she wore on her right hand was the miracle she never thought she would have. It suppressed her powers. The temporary inability to fly or lift a car was nothing compared to being able to touch people without fear of sending them into a coma. The ring she wore on her left hand nearly brought tears to her eyes every time she looked at it.

It was strange how something so simple could represent so much. Modestly designed, a solitary diamond sat atop a circle of white gold – but to Rogue, it managed to capture so much more. For thirteen years, she and Remy had been dancing through their volatile romance. She knew he’d waited until she had the ability to suppress her powers before asking her to marry him. He’d told her time and again it didn’t matter if he couldn’t touch her. He had proposed to her half a dozen times. And every time, she’d told him the same thing: “One day, when I can control my powers and kiss you at the altar, I’ll say yes.” Any other man would have given her up as a lost cause and found some other warm body he could have a normal relationship with… but not her Remy. He was just as stubborn as she was, if not more so.

Things hadn’t always been smooth sailing. There were times they couldn’t stand one another - so much that each had left the mansion for a time. But every time they’d sworn never again, they somehow managed to end up finding their way back to each other. She smiled for what felt like the thousandth time that day and looked back over her shoulder at him.

“Oh really? And here Ah’d thought you’d have your feathers all ruffled with jealousy.”

“What’s to be jealous of, chère? They got the girl, sure… But I got the woman.” Noticing she’d put her rings back on, Remy took a handful of her hair and smoothed it aside, exposing the back of her neck. He leaned over, lightly brushing her skin with his lips, sending a shiver down Rogue’s spine; she still wasn’t used to such intimacy without consequences. 

“’Sides,” Remy purred. “I’m the one what’s gonna change yo’ name.”

He pushed on her shoulder so that she turned to face him. He lightly slid his hand from her shoulder up her neck and laced his fingers through her wild hair. He gripped it gently and pulled her into him, kissing her soft and deep. Her heart still leapt whenever they kissed. A gesture so simple that nearly everyone took for granted felt like a luxury to her. Her mind reeled at the idea that with the ring Beast had given her, this could be – would be – normal for her now.

Wolverine ambled into the kitchen wearing civilian clothes.

“Hey, Gumbo!”

Reluctantly, Remy let go of Rogue and turned to face Logan.

“You come to ask for a rematch, Wolverine?” Remy taunted.

“Anytime, anywhere bub. But for now, Cyke’s got tickets to the Yankees game. You in?”

Gambit shrugged an affirmative answer and turned back to look at Rogue. “We pick up where we left off when I get back, no?”

“You better believe—”

“Nuh-uh,” Logan interrupted. “You’re comin’ too, Roguey-roo. Whole team nearabout is.”

“Nearabout?” Rogue inquired. “Who ain’t comin’?”

“Jean and the Professor said they’re working on something with Cerebro and Storm… well, you know she’s not too big on live sporting events. Now, c’mon or they’ll leave without us. And I’ll be damned if I’m gonna get stuck riding with just you two.”

Rogue rolled her eyes and darted past Remy and Logan to go upstairs and change into her most comfortable pair of jeans.

*******************************

An hour and a half later, several members of the X-Men were sprawled across an entire row of seats in one of the upper sections. Scott had explained on the way there that their seats were definitely in the nosebleed section, but they were also free tickets, so no one should complain. Once they'd found the correct section, Jubilee had mentioned how these seats were preferred over the lower level, since there were fewer people sitting on the upper level so they wouldn't be so cramped. 

"Am I the only one wondering," Kitty pondered between bites of a hot dog, "how Cyke managed to score ten tickets to this game?"

"They were actually a 'thank you' gift from one of Hank's patients," Scott answered. 

Just then, Peter and Hank appeared from the staircase that led down to the concessions. They each held a tray laden with food and drink.

"Ah yeah," Jubilee said as she took a swig from the cup handed to her. "Nothing beats overpriced food and stale beer. This is the life, guys." She kicked her feet up on the empty seat in front of her. 

"You said it, Jubes," Logan mused. 

Rogue sat with a box of nachos in her lap. On either side of her sat Remy and Kurt, who were each stealing chips from her tray. 

"Why don't y'all just go get your own?" She quipped. 

"Don't need to," Remy replied with a wink. "Yours are right here."

Rogue tossed a look of mock contempt to Kurt, who shrugged innocently as he withdrew another chip from the box. Three seats down, Bobby laughed and said sympathetically, "Rogue, you know the only way you're gonna keep them from eating your food is to make it where they can't get to it."

Rogue smirked and flew just high enough so she was out of reach. She crossed her legs in mid-air and set the box back in her lap and smiled a smug little smile. Kurt thought for a moment, snapped his fingers as the idea came to him, and teleported to where he was briefly standing on Rogue's shoulders. He snatched the box of nachos from her lap and teleported back to his seat. The entire process only took a few seconds. By the time she realized what he'd done, Kurt was passing the box to Remy with a soft chuckle. Rogue lowered herself back down to her seat and glared down at Bobby. 

"Great advice. Thanks." 

"Anytime!" He called back. The rest of the group roared with laughter.


	5. Chapter 5

When the game was over, the group made their way to the cars. Always the responsible ones, Scott and Hank had kept their beer consumption to a minimum and elected to drive. The rest of them piled into the cars with Kitty and Jubilee bringing up the rear, giggling hysterically. 

"Oh for Christ's sake...." Logan muttered. "You lightweight boozehounds come on! You only had three beers."

Once they were all piled into the cars, they made the trek back to the mansion. The ride home was fairly uneventful and a short while later, they pulled into the driveway. Rather than pull around to the garage, Scott and Hank parked at the front of the house. When everyone was out of the cars, the front doors opened, seemingly on their own. Though the days were warm, the evenings could still get chilly. Rogue retrieved her sweater from the car and tugged it over her head before entering the house.

The first thing Rogue saw when she entered the foyer was an enormous banner that read  **CONGRATULATIONS REMY AND ROGUE!**

Rounding the corner into the living room, she saw that the furniture had been rearranged to make room for a DJ and a bar. The Professor's chair hovered into the room, with Jean and Storm beside him. 

"What in tarnation is all this, then?" Rogue asked. 

"Your engagement party, of course!" Jean answered. 

"Y'all didn't have to go through all this trouble..." Rogue said softly. 

"Nonsense," the Professor chided. "You're family and this has been a long time coming."

"So the baseball game was just a ruse to get us out of the house, then?" Remy guessed. 

"Pretty much, yeah," Kitty chimed. "But it was so worth it to watch Rogue try to keep those nachos away from you guys."

"Oh, for cryin' out lound," Jubilee muttered. She tried to dart up the stairs, but Logan grabbed the tail of her jacket. 

"Where you goin'?" 

"Anywhere that isn't the living room," Jubilee snapped. 

"Don'tcha wanna celebrate the happy couple?" He persisted. 

"Not particularly, no," she retorted. 

"Kid, take it from someone who knows. Ya gotta let it go. Otherwise, you'll drive yourself nuts," Logan said. "Now get in there, have a drink, and mingle."

Jubilee allowed herself to be steered into the living room and deposited at the bar. 

The living room was full of everyone Rogue held dear. She smiled as she saw so many of their closest friends gathered together to share in her happiness. Remy was leaning against the doorframe, flipping a card between his thumb and forefinger. Despite his many years of being with the X-Men, he still struggled with the idea that they included him as family. But seeing how they had all come together to plan and host this engagement party, he felt himself relax somewhat. But not enough to shake the feeling that so much good had been happening, it was about time for something to go wrong. Because that's just want happened when you were part of the X-Men. Sooner or later, something always went wrong. 

Logan passed the DJ's table on his way to the bar and suddenly stopped short. 

"Is that a karaoke machine I see?" He inquired. 

"Sure is," the DJ responded. 

"Oh that's it. I won't be satisfied until we get Gumbo up here to sing karaoke."

He located Kurt and Bobby by one of the windows, pointed to the DJ booth, and said, "First one to get the Cajun to sing karaoke gets to plan the losers' danger room sessions for a month." 

Bobby replied almost instantly. "You're on! Kurt, you in?" 

Kurt flashed a mischievous smile in reply.

As the evening wore on, the karaoke machine turned out to be quite popular. Jean and Scott performed a duet of "I've Got You, Babe," Peter sang a Russian song no one could pronounce, and even Hank got up and sang a Billy Joel song. 

At the bar, Kitty sipped from a glass of wine while Jubilee was drinking Tom Collins almost faster than the bartender could make them. 

"Hey, Jube, don't ya think you ought to pace yourself, hon?" Kitty asked with concern. 

"Nope. Wolverine told me I had to be in here, so I'm getting good and shitfaced so I hopefully don't remember any of it. You think I could get away with faking a deathly illness on the day of the wedding?" 

Perhaps she didn't realize it due to her alcohol intake, or perhaps she didn't care, but Remy was on the barstool right behind her - and he was hearing every word of her tirade. Rogue and Storm approached him and he looked around to see there were no empty chairs next to him. He motioned to a spot further down the bar where there were several barstools open. The three of them moved down until Remy was satisfied they were out of earshot of Jubilee. 

Kitty looked around the immediate vicinity for help. In her muddle state, she had gotten progressively louder the more she'd talked.  Just as Peter approached the two women, Jubilee jumped down from her barstool, swayed on the spot for a moment, and marched purposefully up to the DJ booth. 

"Oh, no," Kitty moaned. 

"What?" Peter asked. 

"She's piss-ass drunk, Peter. Whatever she's about to do, it isn't good."

It wasn't. Jubilee proceeded to belt out, very loudly and off-key, Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend." 

Kitty was mortified, so she knew everyone else must be too. When Jubilee finished the song, she looked slightly green. 

"Peter, I think she might puke," Kitty warned.

Peter swiftly approached the DJ booth and was joined by Storm. Together, they coaxed the microphone from Jubilee's hand and ushered her off the makeshift stage. As they were leading her from the room toward the staircase, she took one more tipsy look around the room. Fortunately, Peter caught her when she passed out, but not before she saw Remy shaking his head with disappointment and a little disgust. 

Despite the DJ resuming the regular music, the room was still apprehensively quiet. Rogue took a swig from her beer bottle and leaned her elbow against Remy's shoulder. 

"Y'know, I could be wrong, but I think Jubilee might have a crush on ya, Gambit." 

Everyone around them broke out into laughter. 

Kitty approached them timidly and said, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have let her drink so much."

"Nothin' to be sorry for, shugah," Rogue said. 

"You're not upset?"

"Nah... Jubilee's always been a little firecracker. She's had a sweet spot for Remy since the day she met 'im." 

The evening continued much more uneventfully for a short while. But after Bobby brought Remy the third bourbon, he turned to Rogue and said, "Those three are up to something." Rogue didn't even have to ask which three he was referring to. Throughout the evening, Bobby, Kurt, and Logan had been bringing Remy drinks. The last time Logan had come around, he'd been humming. Rogue and Remy both agreed it was very un-Logan-like behavior. Rogue hadn't been able to figure out their goal yet, but she was sure of one thing - they were most definitely trying to loosen Remy up for something. He hadn't refused a single drink all evening and the result was a very unsober Gambit. 

She wasn't exactly complaining though. She'd also had her share of drinks but when Remy drank, he became even more flirtatiously than his normal self. She noticed though that it wasn't the normal flirtatiousness she'd grown accustomed to - this time, he was strangely affectionate. She assumed it was because she had on her suppressor ring. It allowed Remy to behave in a way he hadn't been able to in the past, although he undeniably had wanted to. When Rogue would turn to tell him something, she'd have to lean in close to be heard over the noise of the room. Before, Remy would have had to creatively find a way to lean into her without making contact with her skin. Now, he could rest his forehead against hers or place his arm around her waist and not worry about his thumb brushing against the inch of exposed skin between her jeans and sweater. He never imagined he would cherish those simple gestures, but having gone to the effort to actively avoid them for so many years, he felt electrified every time he touched her. 

Remy was seated on a high backed barstool while Rogue stood between his knees and leaned with her back against his chest. Kitty had just finished a karaoke song and was trying to get the DJ's attention to hand him back the microphone. Before he was fully conscious of what he was doing, Remy downed the rest of his drink and abruptly leapt out of the chair and made his way to the DJ table. Rogue watched, bewildered. Remy didn't sing karaoke. But he plucked the microphone from Kitty's hand and gave the DJ his song choice. Rogue took the seat Remy had just vacated and hoped he didn't embarrass himself too much. She fully expected something outrageous from the bayou. 

Kitty came running up to Rogue. "Does Gambit even sing?" 

"Ah mean, in the car. And the shower. But Ah have  _never_  seen him sing karaoke."

Kitty whipped her phone out of her back pocket. "Then I am definitely recording this."

Meanwhile, Bobby found Logan and Kurt and the three of them stared at one another in confusion. "So... who won?" Bobby asked. 

"Did anyone actually mention karaoke to him?" Kurt pondered. "I haven't."

"Me neither," Logan admitted. "I was just trying to get him three sheets to the wind before making the suggestion."

"So it's a draw, then?" Bobby offered. 

"Hell naw," Logan insisted. "Let's bet on what he's gonna sing. I'm betting it's gonna be something from his Cajun upbringing and won't none of us understand a word."

"Ha. Okay, then I'm guessing it's gonna be something by Bon Jovi," Bobby supplied. 

"You are both of you wrong," Kurt said with confidence. "It's going to be a love song to my sister." 

Bobby and Logan looked at Kurt skeptically. As the song began, they both groaned and Kurt smiled with satisfaction. Logan motioned to the bartender for another beer. "I can't believe I lost a bet to a guy with a tail." The bartender passed three bottles across the bar. Bobby tapped them and the instantly were covered in a thin layer of frost. "Cheers," he said. 

Further down the bar, Rogue sat, slightly stunned. She loved 90's country music, a fact that Remy knew well. So as he sang along to Garth Brooks' "Shameless," she felt her breath catch in her throat. By the time he reached the bridge, everyone was watching. 

Rogue approached Remy slowly, still transfixed by his sudden and quite public declaration of love for her. Remy was ostentatious, sure, but never about his personal life. That was something he usually kept well behind closed doors. But here he was, belting out one of her favorite love songs in a room full of practically everyone they knew. It was definitely inspired by his inebriation, she thought to herself. She had almost reached him by the time the song ended. Remy reached out and took her by the hand. He yanked her forward and kissed her deeply, without a hint of self-consciousness. The room erupted into applause and hollering. 

The nagging worry that something wicked was looming just out of reach had evaporated. Remy's only current thought was of how much he loved the woman in his arms and how lucky he was that she loved him back.


	6. Chapter 6

In the shadows of an abandoned warehouse, a tall blonde woman sat brooding.  _This place is filthy_ , she thought.  _My assassins better come back telling me they've found a better location than this dump._  

Having grown up in the bayou, Belladonna Boudreaux didn't require the finest luxury, but as the leader of the Assassins Guild, she commanded a certain level of respect... and this condemned structure with its crumbling walls and hoard of cobwebs was a disgrace. Still, it served her immediate purpose of developing a plan. While her assassins gathered information (and for their sake, a better place for her to sleep), she would try to think of all the ways this could go wrong beforehand... so they could be addressed and corrected. They only had one opportunity and they best make it count. 

 _"Take her powers... but not her life."_  

She replayed their last meeting over and over in her head as if it were a music track stuck indefinitely on repeat. She often wished he hadn't intervened and let his no-good brother's order to the Xternal eliminate her from existence. She thought it might be better than living as a mere pathetic, powerless mortal. 

 _Goddamn you, Remy,_ she thought.  _Damn you and your compassion._

Belladonna's normally smooth, beautiful face contorted for a moment into a spasm of hatred and malice as she remembered the sight of him walking away... with his arm around  _her._

 _That harlot with the brown and white hair. **Rogue**_. 

Belladonna knew if it hadn't been for that trollop, Remy would have stayed in Louisiana where he belonged. With her. He had no business here in New York. It was too noisy and obscene. It had no culture. Even New Orleans had some semblance of cultural customs. She hated it here. She couldn't understand how Remy tolerated it. 

She heaved a deep sigh and ran through her mental checklist of everything she needed. The sorceress she had commissioned required a sizeable fee. If she hadn't lost her powers, she could have done it herself, but Remy just had to...  _No_ , she reminded herself.  _None of this was Remy's fault. It is all because of that Rogue._  She knew Rogue was a mutant like Remy. She'd seen the little tramp snatch her assassins up, fly them fifteen feet in the air, and hurtle them across the lake as if they had been made of paper. There was no other explanation. Belladonna had never seen another mutant as powerful as her. 

Belladonna smiled cruelly as she pictured what she could do with that kind of power. She may have lost her powers from the Xternal, but if everything went according to plan, within a fortnight she would possess a power even greater... And with that power, she could win back Remy's favor. Then the two of them could return to the Bayou and with their combined power, they would be unstoppable. No force in Louisiana would dare challenge them.  _Yes,_ she thought to herself.  _I will have the Rogue's power... and I will not be satisfied until I see the light leave her eyes._  

She snapped her head up at the sound of footsteps approaching. Her assassins had returned.  _Assassins, indeed, ****_Belladonna thought. She pondered and decided that on second thought, after she had stripped Rogue of her powers, she ought to exterminate her like the pest she was, just to ensure she didn't create future problems for them.


	7. Chapter 7

Rogue emerged from her bathroom wrapped in a towel, singing along to the music she’d been playing from a Bluetooth speaker in her room. She thumbed through the hangers of her closet, trying to choose a dress for the evening. Right after she’d gotten out of the shower, she’d slipped both of her rings back on. Beast had told her it shouldn’t be affected by getting wet, but until he’d managed to create backups, she wasn’t taking any chances.

She chose a violet halter dress that stopped mid-thigh. After getting dressed, she returned to the bathroom to blow dry her hair and do her make-up. The moment she reached for the hair dryer was when they grabbed her.

Two burly men with masked faces ambushed her from behind. Instinctively, Rogue attempted to fight them off but found that her punches were a lot less effective when her powers were suppressed. She tried reaching for the ring to take it off, but one of her captors had already twisted her right arm behind her back and held it bent in a way that caused extreme pain whenever she tried to move. With her powers limited, her abductor had made short work of bringing her other arm behind her back and shackling them both.

She’d also tried hollering, but the other assailant had stuffed a ripped up piece of what appeared to be her towel into her mouth. She continued to struggle fruitlessly as they maneuvered her to the window, knocking over her reading table and chair in the process. The lamp that sat on her side table fell to the floor and shattered. _Hopefully, someone heard that,_ she thought.

Her captors forced her out onto the balcony where a hovercraft was waiting. One of them forced a black bag over her head ( _Really?_ She thought) and roughly shoved her inside as it sped away from the mansion. It was the first time Rogue had ever wished for her powers  _not_ to be suppressed. 

************

Jean’s voice over the intercom summoned all X-Men to the war room at once. She had only gone in to retrieve a file, but saw on the monitor an unwelcome hovercraft flying away from the house. One by one, members of the team entered the room. Finally, everyone was present except for Rogue and Kitty.

Gambit leaned back in his chair, kicked his feet up, and began shuffling the deck of cards he carried in his coat pocket.

“This better not take long,” he mumbled.

“What’s the matter, Cajun? Got a hot date?” Logan growled.

“Matter of fact... I do,” Gambit answered with a smirk.

Jubilee rolled her eyes.

Jean, noticing almost everyone was accounted for, was just about to explain what she’d seen on the security video when Kitty came bursting into the room, seemingly out of breath.

“Guys! Something’s wrong!”

“Yes,” Jean said calmly, “that’s why I called you all here. I saw a strange unmarked—”

“No! I went by Rogue’s room to tell her about the meeting. Her music was on pretty loud so I was sure she hadn’t heard it. Her room is trashed and she’s not in there.”

Gambit stopped shuffling cards and sat up straighter in his chair. He exchanged an uneasy look with Kurt.

“The craft I saw _was_ leaving from the west side of the mansion...” Jean said worriedly.  

“What are you all so worked up about?” Jubilee snapped. “Rogue’s the strongest one in the whole house. She's even stronger than Piotr," she added with an apologetic shrug to Colossus. "Surely she can handle herself...”

“Usually, I would be inclined to agree with you, Jubilee," Beast began solemnly, “But she wouldn't have her usual strength if she was wearing the ring to suppress her powers.”

Jean was searching through all the footage of the security cameras to try and find another video that might help explain what had happened.

“Here!” She shouted.

The video was from a camera on the southwest corner of the house, which showed Rogue’s balcony as the two unidentified men forced her, bound and gagged, into the hovercraft. She most definitely had been wearing her ring - the two men were gripping her tightly by her bare shoulders and they did not appear to be suffering from any adverse effects of her powers. 

Gambit had turned hauntingly pale. The video kept playing on repeat, and after the fourth showing of Rogue being manhandled, with no mutant powers to aid her, his eyes narrowed to malicious slits that burned scarlet. 

“I’m running the insignia from their hoods through Cerebro’s database,” Jean explained after she’d pressed several buttons on the console.

“Don’t bother,” Gambit said with a furious hiss. “They’re from the Assassins Guild.”

"The Assassins Guild?" Jubilee repeated with confusion. 

"Yeah," Wolverine replied. "Bunch of punks down in Louisiana that had beef with our Cajun's kin. Big mess."

The room was suddenly a cacophony of voices all trying to contribute something to the plan that didn't yet exist. All but two. 

Beast placed a furry paw on Gambit's shoulder and turned away from the din of the war room. "Gambit, I cannot begin to apologize enough. I feel personally responsible for this."

"'S not your fault, Beast. You didn't snatch her out that window."

"No, but I created the catalyst that was bound to lead to this."

Remy shook his head adamantly. "The assassins are relentless. If they want her, they would have gotten to her with or without her powers."

"But why do the assassins want her?" Beast wondered. 

"Oh, they probably don't give a damn 'bout her," Gambit supplied. "This has Bell written all over it."

Wolverine snapped his head around. "Bell? As in, Belladonna? That psycho swamp witch who tried to magic you into submission?"

"Dat would be her," Gambit replied dryly. 

"Maybe ya should have let that Xternal lady fry her," Wolverine suggested. 

"Don't do me a lotta good now, does it?" 

The room had gradually grown quieter as the group stopped their own discussion to listen to Gambit. 

"Someone please explain vat is going on, as clearly and concisely as possible," Kurt requested. 

"Cajun's ex-fiancée has gotten her lackeys to abduct his current fiancée," Wolverine said. Normally, he would tease and poke fun at Gambit's misfortune... But not when it was at Rogue's expense. Wolverine loved her like a little sister. He'd always looked out for her ever since they joined the X-Men. And on top of that, Gambit looked genuinely distraught - a look that he didn't wear often. 

"But vhy? Vat reasons does she have for vanting Rogue?" Kurt pressed. 

"Knowing Bell... nothin' good," Gambit said forebodingly. 

"Don't worry, Gambit," Jean said reassuringly. "We'll get her back."

"Oh, I know we will," Gambit agreed with an ominous tone. "I'm just worried about what Bell's gonna do to her before we do." He leaned back in his chair and wearily rubbed his brow. 

Everyone in the war room abruptly snapped into action. Wolverine offered to go out and track down any traces of the hovercraft to see where it went. Jean and the professor went to calibrate Cerebro to see if they could find Rogue's location. Scott went to prep the jet so that they could leave at a moment's notice. Beast, Storm, Colossus, and Kitty also bustled away to help. 

In what felt like the blink of an eye, Jubilee realized she was alone in the war room with Gambit. She was at a loss for what to say to him. Still slumped in his designated chair at the table, Gambit didn't seem to even realize that almost everyone else was gone. Jubilee fidgeted and cleared her throat, but Gambit took no notice of her. He looked so... disheartened. Jubilee couldn't remember a single time when he'd looked so hopeless. Regardless of what had happened to all of them before, Gambit was the one who was always lighthearted and confident that things would work out. 

 _He must really love her to be this depressed,_ she thought. 

"Umm, Gambit?"

"What is it, Jubilee?" He asked without looking up. 

Jubilee bit back the retort she'd been about to say about him using her full name (even though it wasn't actually her full name). This wasn't about her. It was hard to admit to herself, but Gambit was still her friend (she hoped) and he needed everyone's help. 

"I'm sorry I was such a brat at your engagement party."

Gambit scoffed softly and said, "That hardly matters now."

Jubilee hopped off the edge of the table where she'd been perched and approached him. "Yes, it does matter.  But we'll talk about it later. I just want you to know that I'll do whatever I can to help get Rogue back."

That made Gambit finally look up. He saw that Jubilee was standing in front of him, hands wrung together anxiously. 

"You will?" He asked somewhat doubtfully. 

Jubilee took a deep breath. "Yes. I will."

"Why?"

"Because she's a member of this team... and because she's important to you."

"Thanks, Petite."

"Well, c'mon. We don't wanna be the only two X-Men sitting on our butts," Jubilee said with a grin. 


End file.
